Indie Film Craft 5 | How a Celebrity-Free Microbudget Feature Premiered at SXSW (ft. GG Hawkins)

101 Beginner Kit
Written By Jeffrey Graham

What does it take to make a celebrity-free, micro-budget feature and premiere at one of the most competitive festivals in the world?

Filmmaker and No Film School podcast host GG Hawkins joins Jeff to share how she turned a family house in Panama, a tiny team, and a three-month timeline into I REALLY LOVE MY HUSBAND, a breakout SXSW premiere with no celebrity attachments.

They break down every stage of the journey:

  • Writing a script around what you already have

  • Casting for chemistry

  • Financing in waves while production is underway

  • Festival strategy and PR on a shoestring

  • Why specificity and “weirdness” can be your biggest assets

Whether you’re a filmmaker planning your first feature, or just curious how indie films actually get made, this episode pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to crack SXSW.

Jeffrey Graham
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262 | Writing (and Directing) Intimate, Personal Films That Feel Cinematic (ft. Sorry, Baby's Eva Victor)